Tim McGraw

Country Singer

Born: 1 May 1967

Birthplace: Delhi, Louisiana

Best known as: Faith Hill's husband and singer of "I Like It, I Love It"

Name at birth: Samuel Timothy Smith

Tim McGraw has been one of country music's most popular performers since his 1994 breakout album Not A Moment Too Soon. McGraw was raised in Louisiana and went to Nashville in 1989 to make it in country music. He released his first album in 1992 and had some modest success, but his 1994 record produced top hits such as "Indian Outlaw" and "Down on the Farm" and made him a star. His next record was All I Want (1995) and featured the hits "Maybe We Should Sleep On It" and "I Like It, I Love It." On a 1996 nationwide tour he met country star Faith Hill; they were married the same year and their already hot careers got even hotter. Their duet "It's Your Love," from McGraw's 1997 album Everywhere, was a top-ten hit on the pop charts and topped Billboard's country chart for six weeks running. His other albums include A Place in the Sun (1999), Live Like You Were Dying (2004), Let It Go (2007, with the hit song "Last Dollar (Fly Away)") and Southern Voice (2009). His other hit songs include "Unbroken," "Real Good Man" and the 2003 rap-crossover duet with Nelly, "Over and Over." McGraw and Hill were one of the nation's top touring acts in 2006 and 2007, and McGraw has also ventured into acting in movies, with roles in the films Friday Night Lights (2004, starring Billy Bob Thornton), Flicka (2006) and The Blind Side (2009, playing husband to Sandra Bullock's character).

Extra credit: McGraw grew up as Tim Smith, but discovered at the age of 11 that he was the biological son of professional baseball pitcher Tug McGraw (1944-2004)... McGraw and Kenny Chesney made headlines in 2002 after an incident involving the unauthorized use of a police horse and assault; nearly a year later they were tried and acquitted... The 2006 hit song "Tim McGraw" is by Taylor Swift.